A Girl of Summer
by RavenclawReality
Summary: Though Neville and Luna didn't admitt it, they were both feeling their own sorts of loneliness. They like to say their relationship began with an odd conversation and a pink fork.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. You'd know if I did, because Neville and Luna would already be a couple by now.**

I watched her from across the great hall. That girl was the personification of summer. Her eyes, so blue they were almost white, and the waves of her hair reminded me of lazy days on the beach. The sight of Luna's ever-present smile was enough to brighten my day, even from a distance. It still baffles me how she never stops smiling. People condescended her, they underestimated her, they teased her, and eventually, they started to ignore her, isolate her. And yet, her smile hadn't faded through it all. How it was possible for one girl to be so full of optimism, I could not fathom.

I was drawn to her. I didn't like to stare at her, since so many people already did, people with different, more negative intentions. But sometimes, I couldn't help but stare. She was lustrous, radiating sunshine and rainbows. I wished I could tell her how much I liked her. That she was the most beautiful, sanguine, bizarre person I had ever met and I just wanted to spend more time with her, talk to her. I wanted her to be mine. But there was nothing I was more afraid to do. She didn't strike me as the boyfriend type. I just couldn't picture her tying herself to one person, enjoying all the cliché romance most girls gushed over. She seemed too pure for me, and I didn't want to change her. Maybe if she just got to know me better, just maybe, she would like me too.

No, that hope fled my mind quickly. People didn't seem to gravitate toward me. I was incurably clumsy, and I barely knew how to hold a conversation. Even though I would always find ways of squeezing in next to Harry and Ron during mealtimes, they would laugh at me when I tried to chime into their conversations, and I couldn't last two minutes without feeling like a third wheel.

* * *

I skipped into the Great Hall for lunch, full of hope. Hope that maybe today people would want to sit with me, that they wouldn't reject me as they did every day. I had put a lavender bow in my hair before I left my dorm, because lavender is proven to be calming, and calm people are more welcoming. Maybe when the other Ravenclaws relaxed, they would finally open up to me. I approached Michael Corner and Terry Boot, who were sitting with some empty space around them.

"Hello, Michael," I smiled at him. I was pleasantly surprised that he didn't call me "Loony". Instead, he pretended he hadn't heard me. Or maybe he really didn't. I tried again, just to be safe.

"Good morning, Terry!" I beamed at Terry, feeling more hopeful than ever.

"Hey Lovegood," He mumbled, scowling and not looking up. I grinned. He had spoken to me, he hadn't ignored me! My heart felt lighter as I made my way over to sit next to him. As I approached, he put his bag between him and Michael and slid over, blocking the space around him. Maybe in second year I would have asked him to move his bag, or maybe even asked him why he moved over. I knew better now.

Since it had been a relatively successful day thus far, I decided I might have luck sitting with Marietta and Cho.

They told me they were reserving the seats around them, and that they wanted to let me sit there, but they had already promised some other people they could. I sighed and started making my way around the table, looking for some empty space.

* * *

As I watched Luna slump her shoulders, take up residence alone at the far end of the Ravenclaw table, and pull a novel out of her bag to read, I felt a reluctant smile forming at my lips. Of course, I never took joy in seeing the corners of her mouth turned slightly down, as they were now. But I just loved watching her read.

As she opened her book up to a page she had marked with what appeared to be the branch of a flitterbloom, I saw her relax a bit, and some of the red blush left over from her previous rejection faded from her cheeks. As Luna read, I saw her eyebrows raise with concern, her face tighten with fear, followed by a funny narrowing of her eyes, which I presumed was how she looked when she was angry. She never looked cross with anyone but her novels. As she let out an audible gasp and a few heads turned, I quickly looked away, pretending I hadn't just been captivated by something as ordinary as a girl reading a book.

It dawned on me that I had been absentmindedly chewing on an empty spoon for the past five minutes, and upon examining the fresh teeth marks in it, I returned to eating my pumpkin soup. I listened to Ron and Dean argue over whether or not Malfoy had committed any fouls in the last Quidditch match for a minute or two, but my gaze drifted back to Luna. I felt her every emotion and examined her expressions, which weren't as fearsome as before. I lost myself in a trance as I tried to follow the story with her, guessing possible occurrences in her book based on what she looked like she was feeling.

Practically hypnotized, even the sudden cacophony of shuffling feet didn't bring me back to reality. It was only when I saw Luna mark her page and stand that I realized the Great Hall was half empty. Still in a daze, I walked in the direction she went, even though I saw her heading for the dungeons and I was supposed to go to Divinations after lunch. As I walked a few paces behind her, I could make out the sound of a soft voice singing. Luna had a bounce in her step, and although I couldn't distinguish any words, the song she mumbled as she made her way to potions class was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard, and reminded me of birds humming in the morning.

It was that, a girl of summer's sweet voice, which ignited a courageous streak in my heart. Before even considering my actions, I found myself shoving my way through the mob of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs to get to her.  
"Luna!"

* * *

I lifted my head and stopped humming to myself for a moment. Had someone called my name?

No, that couldn't be. It sounded like "Luna", but at most it could have been someone mockingly saying "Nice earrings, Luna." I shook my head and walked on.

"Miss Luna Lovegood!"

It was a male voice, and most definitely directed at me. Before I had a chance to turn around, my hand was grabbed by a larger, somewhat damp one.

I followed the direction of the new hand's tug, spinning on my heel and landing face to face with Neville Longbottom.

* * *

Up until this point, I had been acting solely on impulse. Now that I was standing in the objectification of a scene etched in my thoughts, I was clueless. Although I'd dreamed of this exact moment so many times, I had always woken up before reaching this point: Luna was facing me in the corridor, now near empty, and I was in possession of the full attention of the most beautiful girl I knew. Her bright eyes were focused on me and only me. I had never felt such mortification in my life.

What was the proper thing to say in such a circumstance? I had never even considered it, convinced that there was no possibility of ending up in one. I should tell her how I feel, I suppose.

"Hello, Neville," she beamed at me. I blushed instantly at the way my name sounded in her voice. "What did you want to tell me? It's something you feel strongly about, I could hear it in your voice."

I felt faint, but I reminded myself that I was faced with a perfect opportunity, possibly my one and only. Luna, never informed of her enchanting beauty, stood, probably waiting for a good thirty seconds at this point, with her eyes, still so captivating, searching for meaning in mine.

"Oh... I'm so sorry" Luna said, as she reached an arm out and put her hand on my shoulder.

"What are you sorry about?" I asked, thoroughly confused. Looking a little past Luna, I could see that we were now the only two in the corridors, and I immediately felt guilty for making Luna late for Snape's class.

Instead of answering my question, Luna pulled me into a hug. Of course, I was thrilled about this, though my excitement was drenched in bafflement. "It's going to be alright, I know it is," she said softly into my shoulder. Her hair smelled of coconuts.

"What is?" I asked, wondering if I had done something wrong.

"The thing that you're going through. The thing that just happened to you. It's going to get better. You know you're not able to change the past, but you will come to accept it."

"What? What are you- no, no that's not it," I stuttered. "Luna, nothing bad's happened to me, oh," I took a step away from her and saw that her face still held a sympathetic expression. "I'm really okay. You misunderstood, I just-" my face got hot, and I could feel it getting redder and redder as I spoke, "I think that you're really, er, really nice and sweet." I looked down at my feet, and felt a nervous twitching in my throat. "I think that you and I would be- oh! Hold on," I halted, for a brilliant idea had just struck me. I shoved my hand in my trouser pocket, as Luna gave me an inquisitive look. I pulled out a quill (my last one, but it didn't concern me) and tried to hold it as steady as I could while I pointed my wand at it. Surely admission to Luna's heart could be achieved by giving her flowers.

"_Scribblifors_" I said excitedly, my heart swelling with the anticipation of watching my quill turn green, feeling the formation of a stem and soft leaves in my hand. I looked up at the girl of summer, and her baby blue eyes lit up, creasing at the sides with her glowing smile.

* * *

"Ooo!" I jumped a little at what was surely the most exciting transfiguration I had ever witnessed, "Oh Neville, that's wonderful!"

Neville was thoroughly surprised that his spell had worked seamlessly, and he looked at the pink fork he had just conjured for me.

"A... A fork?" His face fell as if something had gone wrong.

"The best I've ever seen," I beamed at him. It was a magnificently sweet gesture, and yet he still wasn't comfortable in his own skin. Sometimes people like Neville just need a little bit of encouragement.

Neville's face reddened. "You really think so?" he asked in a mumble, not looking up at me.

"Absolutely. Instead of staring at your feet, you should look at what a wonderful job you've done." I bent down and put my head in his line of vision, twisting so I cloud see his face.

Neville gave a shy smile, then laughed out at my absurd position. "I was going for flowers," he said with a chuckle. His stood up straight, regaining the confidence I knew he was capable of, and I followed him.

"Flowers? They're nice, but this fork is so much more practical." I told him, hoping he would feel my sincerity.

"That's great," he replied, thought I could see in his eyes that he was still a bit unsure of himself. "Luna, I'm giving you this, er, fork," he let the most well-intentioned smile I had ever seen fill the space between his cheeks, "because I think you and I would make a really great co- um, pair." Neville raised his eyebrows, afraid that he had said something wrong. He held out the glistening, carnation pink fork to me. I took it from him and pulled him into a hug.

"This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. Thank you so much, Neville! I think we make a sublime pair," I told him, my heart full of a new kind of happiness I had never experienced before.

* * *

Surely it couldn't be true. Luna Lovegood, the most benevolent and, quite frankly, adorable girl I had ever known, was accepting me. Her head was on my shoulder and her arms around my neck, and I swore I could feel actual sunshine radiating off her skin. She let go of me, and wore a smile representing all things sugary and colorful in the world on her face. It was infectious, and I was soon filled with the same ecstasy.

"Really?" I inquired, "Do you want to spend more time together? Maybe we could meet on the Astronomy Tower tomorrow night and look at the stars... If that's okay with you," I added quickly, still somewhat stunned over the way we were getting along.

"That sounds wonderful," she said, "I would love to."

"Wonderful," I repeated, feeling warm and nervous and surprised in all the perfect ways. "You should probably get to Potions now, before Snape takes a million points from Ravenclaw."

"Oh, it's alright. I'm just sorry I've made you late."

"Nah, Trelawney already knew I would be, she saw it in her tea leaves," I said, and we both laughed.

"Okay," she replied, putting her hand on my shoulder, "and thank you, Neville. You've made my day so fantastic already, I can't wait to see you tomorrow."

"See you, Luna." And with that, she spun around and skipped on toward the dungeons, humming a fluttery tune. I watched her leave with her hair swinging behind her, all of the warmth and colors of summer moving with her.

As I made my way to Transfiguration, late, as I knew I would be, I noticed how much brighter the world seemed, with a blonde Ravenclaw in my life.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading, hugs for you all!**

**A supermegafoxyawesome big hug for Speeder9391 who read this early, advised me, and gave me the last line and summary. She's a great author and really nice person in general, so you should go read her stories!**

**Hope you enjoyed the fluff.**

**I appreciate all of your reviews so much :)**


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